


To Err is Human

by KrisseyCrystal (AisukuriMuStudio)



Category: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Drabble Sequence, F/M, Friendship/Love, Hope, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-18
Updated: 2013-05-18
Packaged: 2017-12-12 05:42:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/807947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AisukuriMuStudio/pseuds/KrisseyCrystal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To forgive, divine. Fi finds Master's bad at several things throughout the early part of their journey. Yet she also finds herself learning from him and his smiles and his unbreakable spirit the more she watches him. Maybe they <i>can</i> do this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Err is Human

Fi wasn't supposed to register feelings. She couldn't understand human emotions such as frustration, fear, anger and love-none of those had been part of her original purpose; she had no reason to retain them. She was the spirit of a sword, practically was the sword itself in a living being, breathing, speaking, seeing and knowing. All she was was a personification of an inanimate, cold and metal object that hummed and glowed at Link's bidding when he raised the blade to the sky.

So then, taking all of those aforementioned statements into consideration...what, pray tell, was this swirling, bubbly feeling climbing up her chest and working its' way into her throat?

Fi watched her master-who, and this is to be noted, had just fought gangly, plump red monsters without fear a minute ago, stabbing slime and spiders without batting an eye-run as fast as he could from a swarm of bees that he had unknowingly approached, his face stretched into an expression of extreme dislike and apprehension of all things unwanted, all the while yelling at the top of his lungs (Because Master never "screamed". Never. That was one thing Fi was sworn to remember from Day 1.).

"Master," she calmly reminded, watching him jump and dance to avoid all the bee stings that he was in danger of receiving. "You do have a sword."

For a moment, all he did was pant at his excessive arm swinging movements, beginning to tire out. One managed to finally sting him on his arm just below the mail's edge where pale flesh was only protected by long white-sleeves. She watched as Master winced, pouting, before he suddenly looked up, giving her a brightly-lit expression of realization.

"You're right! Ha!" She watched blankly as he drew the blade-and for a brief moment, he was the esteemed picture of a knight, pulling out his sword from its sheath, ready to do the Goddess' will-but all was lost the instant he started swinging it randomly, guidelessly, aimlessly, to ward off the small pests.

Not to mention he was still yelling incoherently.

When the bees were finally gone (his odd way of shooing them a surprising success-Fi had measured it to have a low 35% chance of working), Link laughed a little as he put the sword back in its sheath, turning to his trusty companion with a bright grin.

"I hate bees."

If Fi could have blinked at him, she would have. As it was, with her blank blue eyes and blue face, she could only stare. Expressing dislike with a smile...that wasn't normally how it was done, if her memory recalled correctly. "But Master, the Kikwi is this way. Something must be done about the bees if we are to proceed."

"Oh yeah..." A careful frown of contemplation crossed his face. Link turned back to view the offending beehive with its equally-as-offending (if not more) inhabitants that hung from a low branch on the tree. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "Well, I guess it's time to use that new toy that Bucha gave me again!" His voice was all excitement, chuckling as he reached for his pouch and drew the wooden slingshot from its resting place, also pulling out a seed as he did so.

And also, as far as Fi could remember (although she couldn't say the same for Link, because currently, his logic must not have been sound), two plus two definitely equalled four. "Master, won't that agitate the bees further? You have a 99% chance of making them angrier than they were when you ran into them if you deliberately attack their home."

Brilliant blue eyes shone brightly at her with mischief, a blinding smile glowing beneath. "Not if they don't know it was me~." With a discreet wave to her, Link bid her a fair distance away from the designated target, eventually getting the both of them to crouch down and hide behind one of the gigantic mushrooms that permeated the forest floor for safety.

But still. All things considered... "Master, I calculate you have a 30% chance of hitting the beehive from here-"

"-shhhhhh!"

Fi then decided, as she watched the seed fly through the air and successfully knock the beehive down from the tree, that Link must also not only be the one with bad math. Fate itself could be a victim, too.

* * *

There was a second thing Fi learned that Master was bad at. This time, while they were in the Skyview Temple.

"Do these places," Master grunted to her as he was forced to crawl on his belly through a small, enclosed tunnel-another thing he hated, yet smiled at, Fi found-all in order to get some treasure that had been marked on the dungeon map they found earlier, hoping it would be something helpful to their sacred mission. "Get smaller and smaller to you each time we go through one? Or is it just me?"

Fi, residing in the sword on his back for the moment, responded in his head patiently.  _I have no record of experience in this matter, Master. I am afraid I cannot come to an accurate percentage with so little data._  He had to remember, after all, that before she even met him, the chosen one, the one destined to do the Goddess' will with her as a guide, she had been living in the sword, locked in a chamber beneath the giant statue of the Goddess in his homeland.

Link chuckled at her, and then that seemed to be that, the matter closed.

But then, with a groan that Fi wasn't sure was directed at the walls all around them or at her, Link suddenly stopped, arms stretching out before him, cheek hitting the chalky dirt.

When he didn't speak for a long time, Fi found herself quickly asking without quite knowing why,  _Master?_ There was the sensation of bugs eating inside her chest as she waited for a response, as if something or some new creature was twisting, it's scales rubbing against her ribcage (if she really had one) and Fi decided at once that she did not like it.

But then, with his bright, noonday-sun voice, she heard him chuckle, and once again he moved, lifting his upper torso as he resumed crawling. "Sorry, Fi. Got tired for a second; decided to take a break." The corner of his mouth twisted upward in a teasing smirk. "What, did I make you worried or something?"

Worried? Was that the name of the monster that had suddenly birthed in her abdomen a few moments ago? Fi mentally frowned.  _Perhaps. I am not familiar with human emotions._

Something changed in Link's aura-something softened-if that was possible with so gentle a boy as he, after she spoke. "Yeah..." he murmured. There was another pause. Then, he took a breath once again before speaking. "Sorry." And at that, Fi found herself...shocked? Was that the right word? After all, why was Master apologizing? "I forget sometimes."

And for the words he didn't say, Fi understood. He forgot, sometimes. Forgot that she was simply a sword. Forgot that she was no real person, with no real body, no real conscience.

Forgot that he was supposed to be a hero, and that he was supposed to be saving the world from an apocalypse all while chasing after his best friend and hoping she was okay.

_Data shows that you fight 94% better when you forget._

And for the soft smile that spread on his face after she said that, Fi decided that this new thing she learned-stretching the truth-was permissible. Only, however, at times like this.

* * *

After discovering her dislikes and likes, Fi also decided that she especially disliked anything that harmed Master. And although fire, Fi was aware, was also an entity without a soul, mind, body and heart, she couldn't help but dislike it the most.

Master didn't like it, as well, but still grinned.

"Master..." Fi called out warningly, hovering behind him as he inched closer and closer to the part of the cave that she most  _definitely_ did not want him to enter. "Your clothes…"

"I know, I know, they'll catch on fire. You said that, Fi, in case you forgot." Throwing a careless grin at her over his shoulder, Link then turned around, his face once again being blasted by the heat that scorched the insides of the chamber he was about to dash through. They had already been through here once, but had failed to grab the part of the key that was resting in the sand on the slides. So, having no other way to go about it, they returned to the cavern, jumped up the wind gale, and found themselves here, at the small cross-section where the entrance to the slides were.

Trouble was, it was also connected to the heart of the volcano. That meant heat— _scorching_ heat, literally, because the instant Link was to step inside, his clothes would be lit.

He already had a few burns—nothing too serious—but enough to make him wince with every few steps he took. But Fi decided that was already one too many burns; Master's skin shouldn't be subject to any more damage. It could lead to other diseases.

But Master needed the key, because Master wouldn't give up.

So, to the slides to get the key piece they would go.

Without giving Fi a warning this time, Link started off, dashing across the volcano floor as he made a bee-line to the slides entrance. As predicted, the second he got within reach, the copious amounts of heat sent his clothes ablaze.

Hissing at the flames and at the sear of their touch, Link picked up his pace, running and running and running until he got to the entrance, where he jumped and landed in the sand, making sure to angle himself so he would roll for a few good feet, effectively stomping out the flames, before leaning himself up and sliding down the rest of the way sitting upright.

The smile never left his face, even while covered in soot and definitely needing a new pair of knight clothes from the academy, Fi noted.

In fact…he seemed delighted. Exhilarated.

Once they got to the open air and there came a drop before the next section of sand slides (in which he used the sailcloth to slow his descent and accurately chose which way to go to get the key piece), Link immediately cheered and huzzahed, kicking his feet with excitement until he was reunited with the sand and began sliding again.

Fi couldn't understand this. Master was burnt. Master should be in  _pain_ , wailing and writhing from the burns that now resided  _on top_ of other burns.

But he wasn't.

He had always been one of those…what was it called? "Glass-half-full" kind of men?

And she didn't know why until they regained their footing at the bottom of the slides, key piece safely in their possession, where Master stood and started shaking himself free of the sand, grinning from ear to red, fire-bitten ear. "Well," he chimed. "I wouldn't mind doing  _that_ again!"

Fi came out of the Goddess sword and hovered nearby. "We have different opinions," she noted clearly. " _I_  would highly advise you to not go through that passage again, Master. Not until you have a way to protect yourself from the heat."

Link waved a dismissive hand at her, muttering, "Sure, sure," while pocketing the key piece in his adventure pouch as he started to take another step forward. But the instant he did so, his teeth grit against one another alarmingly strongly, and without thinking, Link laid a hand on his leg, wincing as his muscles trembled and skin screamed.

Fi did a quick scan of his physical state. Chest and left side—burnt. Both arms—lightly burnt. His left leg—burnt more so than any other part of him. It had probably gotten too close to the wall as he ran, Fi reasoned, pressing her lips into a thin line as Master straightened himself, took a breath, and then began to very, very gingerly walk forward, favoring his left leg. He chuckled nervously, waiting until he had walked a few paces before speaking (because probably by then, he had finally gotten his breath back). "I guess you're right."

Fi watched him, hovering at his side as they travelled out to the open, out of the cave and stopped so Link could catch his breath and ease himself from the stinging ache of his burnt leg. She took this moment to ask a question that had been on her mind for…a while, now.

"Master." He looked at her, brilliant blue eyes open and willing to answer any of her curiosities, which came around once in a while. Watching him blankly, Fi continued her question, "We have different opinions because we are different entities. You are human, and I am a weapon. Therefore, I wanted to inquire of your opinion on a certain matter…to hear what  _you,_ as a human, thought."

"You want to know what I think?" Link blinked at her and then lightly shrugged, being careful not to rub his burns against his equally-as-burnt clothing too much. "Okay. But I'm warning you—I'm not always right."

Fi knew that. According to records, Link was only right about 54% of the time. A mighty low percentage, and quite daunting when one realized that the fate of the world was on  _this_ kid's shoulders, but Fi also knew that  _together_ —her and him, and the friendly surface-dwellers that they met along the way who helped them with their journey—they were right about 98% of the time.

The goddess knew he couldn't do it alone.

Fi continued. "Because this is what the Goddess crafted me for, I know that everything we have done up to this point has been worthwhile. I am fulfilling my purpose." She paused, and then asked, "But to you, we have been following in vain the trails of your Zelda. To you, is everything we have done, and everything we are doing…worth it?"

Link stared at her for a long time. He understood her question—the clarity and amount of thought behind his deep blue eyes told her that—so she didn't need to repeat it. Fi instead decided to wait as she watched him think, turning around and crossing his arms over his chest—or, attempting to, and then deciding against it because it hurt. It was a long moment before he spoke—and when he did, it was with the utmost amount of confidence.

"Yes."

He turned to look at her over his shoulder, blue eyes fierce and strong. The goddess' chosen hero—the one with an unbreakable spirit.

The one who would save them all.

Fi didn't doubt his answer, but still asked her next question—just so she could record what he would say. "Why?"

"She is everything to me." With a small pause, Link turned to her, his stance softening just the slightest, even as his voice carried on the strength and passion that he first had when he answered. "I would cross the world a million and one times if it meant she would be okay. I would scale the highest mountain, slay the most terrifying monster, overcome any fear—if it were all for her." His gloved fists clenched. "I would go to the depths of hell if it would save her—and I would make sure to come back."

Fi continued to hover, watching her Master with her blank eyes, taking in every muscle twitch, every inflection of voice, every emotion in his eyes as he spoke—just so she would remember it. "What do your people call that kind of bravery?" It came out as a whisper.

Link shrugged, finally moving his powerful eyes away from her. "I don't know…maybe insanity." He scratched the back of his head. "Maybe I'm obsessed."

Fi made a quick calculation.

"Love can be divided into four factors—obsession being one." This drew her master's attention to her, and after a pause, she continued. "It is 12% commitment, 5% obsession, 8% self-sacrifice, and 75% forgiveness."

Link furrowed his eyebrows at her. "75% forgiveness…? What makes you—?" he murmured back.

"Because people who are loved aren't perfect." Fi hovered. "But the people have been recorded to love them, love them regardless."

Perfection, after all, could only be attained after having known that which is imperfect. Else, perfection would have had no definition.

* * *

The hardness of the dark-skinned woman's red gaze as she snapped her head towards Link could make a soldier probably drop dead, turned to stone. But as it were, Link was no soldier and he definitely had nothing in him that could be turned to stone anyway. He was a man full of too much warmth, full of such abundant life.

But at this moment, also full of inner turmoil.

He didn't understand  _why_ this lady had stopped him; couldn't see  _why_ Zelda had to go and disappear like that so suddenly without so much as a, "Oh! Hi, Link! Long time no see!" with one of her dear smiles. It…it didn't make sense. He had just found her! After all he had gone through—all of his burns—all of his claustrophobia—all of his bee stings—why couldn't she stay? What was going on? Why…?

"It took you far too long to get here."

The dark-skinned Sheikah's tone was harsh, cold. She held her hand up towards him, palm facing him, as if he were a great evil she was warding off. Her red eyes reevaluated him, but retained no fondness. "Looking at you, I fear the goddess is mistaken in her choice of agents."

Link managed to keep himself from stumbling backward, confused. Fi felt a fire scorch her insides and cheeks. As it were, she could do nothing while she remained idle in the sheathed Goddess Sword—but still, in the recesses of her mind, she could speak. And she did. She could only vaguely recognize this woman, and feel the mark of the goddess on her—she must have been a chosen agent, too, but for a far different purpose than Link and Zelda.

But that only made Fi more discomforted. As an agent of the goddess, didn't this woman know to  _trust_ the goddess and her decisions?

And how could she accurately judge the time in which her Master  _should_ have gotten here, anyway?

"If this  _failure_ —" the Sheikah spat the word out in emphasis, and Fi felt her Master's confident aura tremble at its force. "—is any indication, you have no hope of defending Her Grace from those who seek to assail her."

Link took a step forward, his mouth open to object—to pardon himself, because after all, Fi was a witness to the terrible beast Ghirahim had pitted them against at the last second before they could reach Zelda. A rampaging, volcanic creature with a crazed eye was what it had been. She had almost been afraid Master wouldn't make it out of that one, for the battle involved more fire, explosions, and more burns—and a human's skin, Fi knew after all their time spent here at the Eldin Volcano, was very delicate and vulnerable when it came to flames.

Ghirahim must have known that, as well.

But before Link could speak, the slender woman dropped her hand and continued to speak. "Do my words…anger you, boy? Do my words sting?"

There was a moment of silence as the soft, curious words hung in the air. Then, without warning, the Sheikah brought them down and violently chained them around her Master's neck, choking him, hissing. " _Let them."_

Link almost shook with the heat radiating throughout his body—yes, he was "angry," if that's what the fire that had lit his aura was called. Fi could feel it, could feel him, as he fought to keep himself silent, pressing his lips together. She could also feel the two sides inside him warring against one another—one trying to protect himself against the accusations—the other, trying to submit to them, to admit their truth.

"If I had not come when I did, your Zelda would have already fallen into the hands of the enemy." The dark skinned woman shook her head at him, her single long lock of blonde hair dancing with the jerk.

Her red eyes narrowed as she continued, slowing her speech so as to enunciate each following word with snake venom. "The truth of it is, you were late. You were late, and you failed to protect her."

Pain. Fi could feel the sharp, acute feeling spread throughout her Master's body—originating from the vital organ in his chest called his heart. Suddenly, the side in his head that had been agreeing with the woman was beginning to win, his voice growing louder and louder the more she talked.

But bless his soul, he didn't let it show. Straightening his back slowly, he watched with a grim, set face, eyebrows furrowed and blue eyes emotionless. The woman continued. "I sent Zelda ahead to learn more of the fate in which she is destined to play a part."

At that moment, she paused, once again regarding Link carefully, shifting her weight on the top of the stairs of which she stood. When she was apparently ready, she added, "Listen well, chosen one. If you wish to be of help to Her Grace, you must summon a shred of courage and face the trials laid out before you.  _Only,_ " and she made sure this word was very clear, "when you've conquered the trials will you be of use to Zelda." She shook her head again, strong emphasis on these words. "No sooner. Am I understood?"

Link didn't answer. Most likely, he couldn't. Should he dare to move, he might have broken the stiff façade he had been struggling to maintain.

The Sheikah apparently didn't need one, either. After the long pause had passed, she shifted her weight again, regarding him with her sharp red eyes one last time. Then, finally, she turned and walked away, her body disappearing the instant it met with the portal of light in front of her. After she was gone, the portal faded away, too, following suit.

They were alone.

Fi wasn't sure what to do. Link's actions were shaky as he went through the motion of sending a skyward strike towards the symbol of the goddess, his entire consciousness sluggish and distracted. She knew what he was thinking about—or rather, who—but she could think of no solution to this problem.

Because Master's unease and daunted pride was definitely a problem, Fi decided. It made him not himself.

She hoped that her message from the goddess would cheer him up—that it would remind him there was still work to be done, and all was not lost. There was a chance they could still find Zelda, a chance he could redeem himself and prove himself to be a hero— _the_ hero.

Link seemed to be aware of this already, though. She could feel his thoughts on this point argue with one another.

So she decided to wait, floating behind him, watching him carefully as he stared at the statue of the goddess for a terribly long time—almost as if it were someone else he were seeing instead of Hylia, as if it was someone else's smile, someone else's laugh that he  _wanted_ to hear. She decided to remain out of his thoughts for that moment, waiting patiently for him whenever he decided that he was ready to move forward.

After all, Master was the one with the unbreakable spirit. The one who could still go on after everything fell apart. So she knew he eventually would.

But when her Master finally turned to her, his blue eyes and their raging, tumultuous,  _uncertain_  emotions connected with Fi's sharply, she instantly linked it to the sensation of being plowed over by a powerful tidal wave.  _Master…_

He smiled at her. Crookedly.

But he was still  _smiling._

And Fi decided at that moment, as she was lost for words, that they were definitely ready to go. They were done here in this hall of bitter words and unfulfilled duties.

The goddess may have chosen the one boy out of all the others on Skyloft who was bad at math, who was bad at remembering things, who was bad at taking care of himself, and who was bad at being on time.

But she picked the one who not only could—but  _would_ change.

And who would  _survive_ it.

And for all that he had yet to go through—because surely this was still only the beginning of his trials that the dark-skinned woman had alluded to—Fi felt herself suddenly overwhelmed, with a tight, constricted feeling choking her throat. Her Master… _her_ Master.

She decided that as his blade, as his servant, as his companion, she would change, too. It was part of her duty.

And perhaps with the development of understanding a few little human emotions, she had already begun to.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, drabbles. Funness! Except...when I finally remember it's a drabble, it turns more into a oneshot, so...
> 
> Do enjoy! These were some of my thoughts while playing my new favorite game of all time-Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword-and GOOD HEAVENS is that game BEAUTIFUL. (heart heart) I recommend it to EVERYONE. Go. Go get it. Go play it. Go fall in love and cry. Because. I cried. Yeah.
> 
> Oh, and yeah, you know that phrase? xD "Love means never having to say you're sorry"? I don't quite believe that. xD So yeah.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed. (heart)


End file.
